Truly a delightful read. Also after having seen the video, that is a really neat gadget! The knobs, the wires, the not having a (predictable) 3d printed case you’d kinda mentally intertwine with the idea of DIYing electronics like this nowadays.
This is cool but I just wanna say as an avid bbq-er this sounds like one of those cases of optimizing the fun out of something. babying a grill for 6 hours in the sun as a tired dad getting an excuse to drink a modelo and nurse a crappy cigar getting away from the stresses of raising a family is a feature, not a bug - but also as a fan of perfectly smoked meats, I get it. This piece speaks to me.
You can drink your beer while avoiding your family just as easily with a controller. Also, egg (kamado) style grills are very good at holding a specific temperature if you get the inlet/outlet airflow dialed in
You dont use wood in the Egg, you use charcoal, and not the petroleum infused stuff. Natural hardwood lump charcoal. You can smoke stuff for 6 hours not really touching it once it is dialed in.
https://github.com/CapnBry/HeaterMeter/wiki
I have one and it’s incredible.
Dad and the Egg Controller - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=18710205 - Dec 2018 (49 comments)
Chef’s kiss
And perhaps where you see alone time while grilling, OP's dad saw alone time for hours in his workshop tinkering with things like this.